St. Pete Beach vs. Clearwater Beach - Where Do You Belong?

Since DWELL expanded from Sarasota north to our sister-city St. Petersburg early this year, we have been interacting much more frequently with buyers looking to be closer to Tampa in the vibrant area of St. Pete/Clearwater. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between the small beach towns of St. Pete Beach& Clearwater beach, so you can find the place that’s best for you!

These two small coastal beach towns bear a lot of commonality. The greater St. Petersburg and Clearwater areas nearby means both beaches are within minutes of vibrant downtowns with cultural amenities, more diverse populations, and a wide variety of housing options.

The census does not collect data on just Clearwater Beach, so the data below represents the entire zip code of 33767, which also includes Calidesi Island, Island Estates, Clearwater Beach, and Sand Key.

Real Estate

Below are average asking price and sales price for properties in St. Pete Beach (33706).

Below are average asking price and sales price for properties in Clearwater Beach (33767)

Weather

The St. Pete/Clearwater area boasts a staggering average of 361 days of sunshine each year. You read that right — an average of only 4 cloudy & rainy days PER YEAR! ??

St. Pete Beach:

Average December temperature of 68 degrees

Average August temperature of 84 degrees

Average 4” precipitation per month

Clearwater Beach:

Average December temperature of 65 degrees

Average August temperature of 83 degrees

Average 4.2” precipitation per month

Beaches

Both St. Pete Beach & Clearwater rank on the TripAdvisor’s Best Beaches in the US for this year. After many years of Sarasota’s Siesta Key stealing the spotlight on this one, Clearwater Beach dethroned Siesta Key for the top spot, with TripAdvisor citing its “three miles of white pillowy sand, complemented by the crystal clear water, swaying palm trees and the almost always sunny weather.” Also noteworthy: Clearwater Beach is the only American beach to make TripAdvisor’s Best Beaches in the World list, where it ranks as #7 just below postcard-picture-worthy Turks & Caicos, Aruba, and the Cayman Islands just to name a few. We are lucky to have this international gem right in our backyard!

St. Pete Beach sits respectably at #7 on the Best Beaches in the US list, “renown for its golden red sunsets and its many activities on offer, like parasailing, paddle boarding, and windsurfing in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.”

When it comes to these two beaches, there are probably more similarities than differences. St. Pete Beach is longer and more narrow, and Clearwater Beach is shorter and wide, but they both offer sugary sand, a wealthy of family entertainment options, and great dining. And don’t forget: these two great beaches are connected by the Beach Trolley, so whichever one you choose, you can always jump on the trolley and visit the other!

Crime

Crime rates in both Clearwater & St. Pete Beach are very low. Take a look at the charts below for specifics in these areas, compared to the Florida and National averages.

Where is St. Pete Beach?

Where Is Clearwater Beach?

Arts, Culture, & Entertainment

The coastal area of Clearwater offers a wide variety of activities, but for your arts & cultural fixes, you will likely find more options in neighboring St. Petersburg or Tampa.